U.S. patent number 6,575,492 [Application Number 09/818,984] was granted by the patent office on 2003-06-10 for lateral torso supports for folding wheelchairs.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Convaid Products, Inc.. Invention is credited to Rodney Davidson.
United States Patent |
6,575,492 |
Davidson |
June 10, 2003 |
Lateral torso supports for folding wheelchairs
Abstract
A laterally collapsible wheelchair includes a restraint system
for preventing lateral movement of wheelchair occupants. The
restraint system includes a pair of lateral supports, which are
releasably attached to restrict the movement of a person seated in
the wheelchair. The wheelchair is laterally collapsible to allow
for ease of transportation and storage. The restraint system is
provided to restrain a wheelchair occupant without hindering the
lateral collapsibility of the wheelchair. The restraint system is
releasably attachable to a backing material of a back portion of
the wheelchair. In one embodiment, the backing material is a
netting material which allows for easy attachment of the restraint
system.
Inventors: |
Davidson; Rodney (Torrance,
CA) |
Assignee: |
Convaid Products, Inc.
(Torrance, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
25226933 |
Appl.
No.: |
09/818,984 |
Filed: |
March 26, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
280/647;
280/304.1; 280/644; 280/650; 297/411.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61G
5/08 (20130101); A61G 5/0825 (20161101); A61G
5/1091 (20161101); A61G 5/121 (20161101); A61G
5/128 (20161101); A61G 2200/52 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61G
5/00 (20060101); A61G 5/08 (20060101); A61G
5/10 (20060101); A61G 5/12 (20060101); B62B
007/08 (); A47C 007/46 () |
Field of
Search: |
;280/642,644,646,647,650,304.1 ;297/466,411.1,411.2 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Johnson; Brian L.
Assistant Examiner: Restifo; Jeffrey J
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Oppenheimer Wolff &
Donnelly
Claims
I claim:
1. An assembly for laterally supporting wheelchair occupants, said
assembly comprising: a pair of supports coupled to a back portion
of a wheelchair and positioned to provide a lateral support for a
wheelchair occupant's torso, each support including a base portion
and an elongated portion substantially perpendicular to the base
portion, wherein the elongated portions are configured to move
toward each other when an occupant's torso pushes against the back
portion.
2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the supports are flexible.
3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the supports are
adjustable.
4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the supports are releasably
attached to the wheelchair.
5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the supports are releasably
attached to a netting material at least partially forming the back
portion of the wheelchair.
6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the supports are centrally
positioned on said netting material.
7. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the netting material is
flexible to allow an occupant to recess into said netting material,
each elongated portion on each support having a distal end away
from the netting material and a proximate end nearer to the netting
material, the pair of supports configured to deflect when an
occupant recesses into the netting material such that the distal
ends of the elongated portions deflect toward each other.
8. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a base plate coupled
to the base portion of each support.
9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the base plate is coupled to
the base portion by a bolt and wing nut assembly, said assembly
including at least one bolt and at least one wing nut.
10. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the base plate is coupled to
the base portion by a hook and pile assembly.
11. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the supports are releasably
attached to a backing material at least partially forming the back
portion of the wheelchair, the backing material being positioned
between the base portion and the base plate of each support.
12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the backing material is
flexible to allow an occupant to recess into said backing material,
each elongated portion on each support having a distal end away
from the backing material and a proximate end nearer to the backing
material, the pair of supports configured to deflect when an
occupant recesses into the backing material such that the distal
ends of the elongated portions deflect toward each other.
13. A method of laterally supporting a wheelchair occupant's torso,
comprising: positioning a pair of supports to provide lateral
support to the torso, each support including a base portion and an
elongated portion substantially perpendicular to the base portion,
each elongated portion having a distal end and a proximate end; and
releasably attaching each support to a back portion of a
wheelchair, the support being attached to the back portion by
coupling each base portion to a base plate, wherein the distal end
of each support moves relatively toward the distal end of the other
support when a wheelchair occupant exerts pressure on the back
portion by reclining in the wheelchair.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising fastening each
support to the back portion with a hook and pile assembly, the hook
and pile assembly allowing each support to remain flexible as an
occupant reclines in the wheelchair.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the distal end of each support
is adopt an outward orientation relative to the distal end of the
other support when a wheelchair occupant removes pressure on the
back portion.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the supports are flexible.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the supports are
adjustable.
18. The method of 13, wherein a netting material at least partially
forms the back portion of the wheelchair, the netting material
being positioned between the base portion and the base plate of
each support to secure the pair of supports to the wheelchair.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the supports are centrally
positioned on said netting material.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the netting material is
flexible to allow an occupant to recess into said netting material,
each elongated portion on each support having a distal end away
from the netting material and a proximate end nearer to the netting
material, the pair of supports configured to deflect when an
occupant recesses into the netting material that the distal ends of
the elongated portions deflect toward each other.
21. The method of claim 13, the base plate is coupled to the base
portion by a bolt and wing nut assembly, said assembly including at
least one bolt and at least one wing nut.
22. The method of claim 13, wherein the base plate is coupled to
the base portion by a hook and pile assembly.
23. The method of claim 13, wherein a backing material at least
partially forms the back portion of the wheelchair, the backing
material being positioned between the base portion and the base
plate of each support to secure the pair of supports to the
wheelchair.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the backing material is
flexible to allow an occupant to recess into said backing material,
each elongated portion on each support having a distal end away
from the backing material and a proximate end nearer to the backing
material, the pair of supports configured to deflect when an
occupant recesses into the backing material such that the distal
ends of the elongated portions deflect toward each other.
25. A laterally collapsible wheelchair having a support assembly
for supporting a wheelchair occupant's torso, the wheelchair
comprising: a frame configured to collapse side-to-side, said frame
having a left frame portion, a right frame portion, and a back
portion; and a pair of flexible, adjustable supports, each
adjustable support including a base portion and an elongated
portion substantially perpendicular to the base portion, the pair
of adjustable supports being positioned on said back portion of
said frame to provide a lateral support, wherein the elongated
portions are configured to move toward each other when pressure is
applied against the back portion.
26. The wheelchair of claim 25, wherein the back portion at least
partially includes an interwoven material forming a netting
material, the netting material providing flexible support for an
occupant of the wheelchair.
27. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the netting material is
positioned between the base portion and a base plate to secure the
pair of supports to the wheelchair, the base plate being coupled to
the base portion.
28. The assembly of claim 27, the supports are centrally positioned
on said netting material.
29. The assembly of claim 27, wherein the base plate is coupled to
the base portion by a bolt and wing nut assembly, said assembly
including at least one bolt and at least one wing nut.
30. The assembly of claim 27, wherein the base plate is coupled to
the base portion by a hook and pile assembly.
31. The assembly of claim 27, wherein the netting material is
flexible to allow an occupant to recess into said netting material,
each elongated portion on each support having a distal end away
from the netting material and a proximate end nearer to the netting
material, the pair of supports configured to deflect when an
occupant recesses into the netting material such that the distal
ends of the elongated portions deflect toward each other.
32. The method of claim 25, wherein a distal end of each support is
configured to adopt an outward orientation relative to the distal
end of the other support when pressure is relieved from the back
portion.
33. The assembly of claim 25, wherein the supports are releasably
attached to the wheelchair.
34. The assembly of claim 25, wherein the back portion at least
partially includes a backing material positioned between the base
portion and a base plate of each support to secure the pair of
supports to the wheelchair, the base plate being coupled to the
base portion.
35. The assembly of claim 34, wherein the backing material is
flexible to allow an occupant to recess into said backing material,
each elongated portion on each support having a distal end away
from the backing material and a proximate end nearer to the backing
material, the pair of supports configured to deflect when an
occupant recesses into the backing material such that the distal
ends of the elongated portions deflect toward each other.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to folding wheelchairs. Specifically,
the invention relates to lateral supports for supporting wheelchair
occupants and limiting their lateral movement while seated in a
wheelchair.
2. General Background and State of the Art
The prior art includes many examples of wheelchairs and strollers
that are used for the transport of infants, children, invalids, or
anyone suffering from a debilitating disease or condition.
Wheelchairs may also be used when a person is too weak to walk or
in other similar situations. Often it is desirable to have a
foldable wheelchair to allow for convenient transportation and
storage when the wheelchair is not in use.
It is also often desirable to provide restraints on a wheelchair to
restrict an occupant's movement. The prior art includes several
references which disclose restraint systems. One such reference,
U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,531, discloses a foldable stroller for children
having a back portion and a pair of lateral side elements which are
connected in the back of the wheelchair by split crosspieces having
a common control bar and an actuating grip therebetween. The
lateral side pieces are placed high on the back of the stroller to
restrict movement of the wheelchair occupant's head. The connection
between the lateral side elements and the back of the wheelchair
also allows the wheelchair to be folded in a side-to-side manner
without a great degree of interference from the lateral side
elements. However, one drawback to this type of configuration is
that only the occupant's head is prevented from moving while the
occupant is seated in the wheelchair. Other parts of the occupant's
body are free to move, which can cause problems when the occupant
has debilitating conditions such as involuntary spastic movement of
various other parts of his or her body.
Another prior art reference is disclosed at U.S. Pat. No.
4,353,577. This reference discloses a collapsible stroller having
an adjustable backrest. This stroller includes a pair of headrest
side extensions which also restrict the movement of a wheelchair
occupant's head. This reference also is therefore limited to
restricting the movement of a person's head. The configuration of
this reference, as with the previous reference, does nothing to
restrict movement of other parts of a wheelchair occupant's
body.
Accordingly, it is one object of the invention to provide a
foldable wheelchair. It is another object of the invention to
provide an adequate system of restraint for a wheelchair occupant's
torso. It is yet another object of the invention to provide a
folding wheelchair having such a system of restraining a wheelchair
occupant's torso.
INVENTION SUMMARY
The present invention provides a folding wheelchair having a
lateral restraint system which includes a pair of lateral supports
positioned to restrict lateral movement of a wheelchair occupant.
Each of the lateral supports includes a base portion and an
elongated portion. The base portion is connectable to the back
portion of a wheelchair, such that when an occupant is seated in
the wheelchair, the lateral supports restrict the movement of his
or her torso.
The present invention also provides that the lateral restraint
system is both flexible and adjustable, depending on the type of
wheelchair to which it is attached and also depending on the size
of the wheelchair occupant. The lateral supports are also
releasably attached to the back portion of the wheelchair such that
they can be adjusted and moved depending on the size of the
wheelchair occupant. The invention contemplates that different
types of attachments can be used to releasably attach the lateral
supports to the back portion of a wheelchair. The invention also
contemplates that the back portion of the wheelchair may be a
standard backing material or may also be, in an alternative
embodiment, a netting material. A base plate coupled to the base
portion of each lateral support is releasably attachable to the
back portion of the wheelchair. A bolt and wing nut assembly may be
used, which includes at least one bolt and at least one wing nut
for each lateral support. In an alternative embodiment, the base
plate can be coupled to the base portion by a hook and pile
assembly.
In the embodiment where a netting material is used for the backing
material, the netting material provides for improved ventilation
and easy attachment of the lateral supports. The lateral supports
can be connected through holes in the netting material without the
need for cutting or punching the netting material. Additionally,
the pre-installation of grommets is not needed for the attachment
of the lateral supports.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a wheelchair having a pair of lateral supports releasably
attached thereto;
FIG. 2 is a close-up view of a lateral support being attached to
the back portion of a wheelchair;
FIG. 3 is an overhead view of a person being laterally supported by
the present invention;
FIG. 4 is an overhead view of the back portion of a wheelchair
having the pair of lateral supports with a hook and pile assembly
releasably attaching the lateral supports to the back portion;
FIG. 5 is a wheelchair having a pair of shoulder straps releasably
attached to the back portion;
FIG. 6 is a close-up view of a method of releasably attaching the
shoulder straps to the back portion of the wheelchair;
FIG. 7 is a wheelchair having a pair of lateral supports that is
shown to be collapsible in a side-to-side manner; and
FIG. 8 is a close-up view of a portion of netting material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
In the following description of the present invention reference is
made to the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof, and in
which is shown, by way of illustration, exemplary embodiments
illustrating the principles of the present invention and how it may
be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be
utilized to practice the present invention and structural and
functional changes may be made thereto without departing from the
scope of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wheelchair having a lateral
restraint system. The lateral restraint system comprises a pair of
lateral supports, including a first lateral support 12 and a second
lateral support 14. The first lateral support 12 and the second
lateral support 14 may be centrally positioned on a back portion 15
of a wheelchair 20. Each lateral support 12 and 14 includes a base
portion 16 and an elongated portion 18. In the preferred
embodiment, each elongated portion 18 is substantially
perpendicular to each base portion 16. However, other angles may be
selected. Each of the first and second lateral supports 12 and 14
are releasably attached to the back portion 15 of the wheelchair
20. The wheelchair may also include additional lateral supports to
restrict head movement of a wheelchair occupant.
The wheelchair 20 of the present invention is also laterally
collapsible for easy storage and transportation. FIG. 7 is a
perspective view of the wheelchair in state of partial collapse in
a side-to-side manner to show the lateral movement of the
wheelchair to a folded position. The wheelchair 20 includes a frame
which has a left frame portion 42 and a right frame portion 44,
with the backing portion 15 positioned between the left frame
portion 42 and the right frame portion 44. Each of the lateral
supports 12 and 14 are releasably attached to the backing portion
15. When the wheelchair 20 is collapsed in a side-to-side manner,
the positioning of each lateral support does not interfere with the
degree of lateral collapsibility. When added to the backing portion
15 of the wheelchair 20, the lateral supports 12 and 14 are
collapsible towards each other corresponding to the left frame
portion 42 and the right frame portion 44. Thus, the present
invention provides a laterally collapsible wheelchair having a
restraint system for a wheelchair occupant's torso that does not
interfere with the lateral collapsibility of the wheelchair 20.
This is an advantageous feature over the examples of wheelchairs in
the prior art, in which only head restraint systems are used with
laterally collapsible chairs.
The lateral supports 12 and 14 may be flexible and may also be
adjustable and movable to accommodate different types of
wheelchairs to which they are releasably attached and also to
accommodate different sizes of wheelchair occupants. Therefore, the
lateral supports 12 and 14 are releasably attached to the back
portion 15 of the wheelchair 20. The invention contemplates that
different methods of releasably attaching the lateral supports to
the back portion of the wheelchair may be used. For example, as
shown in FIG. 2, a base portion 16 may be releasably attached to
the back portion 15 of the wheelchair 20 using a base plate 24 and
a wing and nut assembly 26. Each wing and nut assembly 26 includes
a bolt 28 and a wing nut 30. The bolt 28 is insertable through the
base portion 16 through the back portion 15 of the wheelchair 20
and also through the base plate 24. The wing nut 30 is then screwed
over the protruding end of the bolt 28 to releasably attach the
support to the back portion 15 of the wheelchair 20.
In another embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a hook and pile assembly 32
is used to releasably attach the base portion 16 to the backing
portion 15 of the wheelchair 20. The hook and pile assembly 32 may
comprise a Velcro-type attachment, such that the base portion 16 is
releasably attached to the back portion 15 of the wheelchair 20 by
placing a Velcro-type portion on a back each base portion and
attaching to a receiver portion coupled to the back portion 15. For
example, the hook portion of the Velcro attachment is found at 31,
with the loop portion at 33, or vice versa. Regardless of the
method of releasably attaching each lateral support to the back
portion 15 of the wheelchair 20, the present invention contemplates
that each lateral support 12 and 14 and the back portion 15 of the
wheelchair 20 are flexible to allow a wheelchair occupant to
recline in the wheelchair 20 while at the same time providing a
sturdy and secure support for the occupant's torso.
FIG. 3 is an overhead view of a wheelchair occupant seated and
being restrained laterally by the first and second lateral supports
12 and 14. FIG. 3 also shows the bolt and wing nut assembly 26
method of releasably attaching the first and second lateral
supports 12 and 14 to the back portion 15 of the wheelchair 20.
Note in FIG. 3 that the wheelchair occupant is pressed against the
back portion 15 of the wheelchair 20, causing a slight concave
configuration of the back portion 15. This concave configuration
causes the elongated portions of the first and second lateral
supports to move towards each other, thereby increasing the level
of restraint provided for the wheelchair occupant's torso. Each
elongated portion on each support includes a distal end 13 away
from the backing material and a proximate end 17 nearer to the
backing material. The lateral supports 12 and 14 are configured to
deflect when an occupant recesses into the backing material such
that the distal ends 13 of the elongated portions deflect toward
each other.
Similarly, a hook and pile assembly can be substituted for assembly
26 to accomplish the same purpose. The Velcro-type attachment
causes the elongated portions of the first and second lateral
supports 12 and 14 to move inward toward each other when the
wheelchair occupant exerts pressure against the back portion 15 of
the wheelchair. FIG. 4 shows this embodiment, where a slight
concave configuration of the back portion 15 causes the first and
second lateral supports 12 and 14 to remain in a substantially
parallel relationship relative to each other. However, it is not
necessary to the invention that lateral supports 12 and 14 be
geometrically parallel to one another, so long as they operate
compatibly. As with the configuration in FIG. 3, the configuration
in FIG. 4 provides a level of restraint necessary to maintain the
wheelchair occupant's torso in a normal seated position.
FIG. 5 shows the wheelchair 20 having the lateral restraint system
including the first and second lateral supports 12 and 14. FIG. 5
also shows the wheelchair 20 including a pair of shoulder straps 36
releasably attached to the back portion 15 of the wheelchair 20.
The shoulder straps 36 provide an extra level of support for the
wheelchair occupant's torso. Therefore, where extra support is
needed for an occupant of the wheelchair, the combination of the
first and second lateral supports 12 and 14 and the shoulder straps
36 provide an enhanced level of restraint. The pair of shoulder
straps 36 are releasably attached to the back portion 15 of the
wheelchair 20 using the configuration shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a
close-up view of the attachment mechanism for the pair of shoulder
straps 36. In FIG. 6, a bolt 38 is inserted between an upper
portion of each shoulder strap 36, the backing material 15, and a
shoulder strap base portion 40.
The back portion 15 of the wheelchair 20 may be a typical mesh
configuration. In another embodiment, a netting material 46 is used
as the back portion 15 of the wheelchair 20. The netting material
46 used in this embodiment provides an additional level of
flexibility for a wheelchair occupant seated in the wheelchair 20.
The netting material 46 also provides an easier mechanism for
releasably attaching each lateral support 12 and 14 to the
wheelchair 20. Both the bolt and wing nut assembly 26 and the hook
and pile assembly 32 are releasably attachable to the netting
material 46 to provide a further level of occupant restraint. For
example, the netting material 46, which provides more flexibility
to the back portion 15, is configurable to a more concave
configuration when a wheelchair occupant exerts pressure on the
back portion 15. This causes the first and second lateral supports
to exert more force inward toward each other, providing a greater
degree of restraint for the occupant's torso.
FIG. 8 is a close-up view of a portion of a preferred embodiment of
the netting material 46. The netting material 46 is an interwoven
material having a plurality of interwoven strands 48. The
interwoven material includes a plurality of apertures between the
strands as they cross over each other in the interwoven manner. The
apertures are of a sufficient height and width to allow a fastening
mechanism, such as a bolt 28 in a bolt and wing assembly 26, to
pass through the apertures. One available netting material is known
by the trade name of Textilene and is manufactured by Twitchell
Corporation. The interwoven material is a PVC-coated fabric such as
vinyl-coated polyester and comprises a plain one-over-one weave of
0.25 inch yarn. The yarn comprises both pigmented vinyl and
polyester core yarn and includes a mildew resistance component,
which may be arsenic fungicide, and a flame retardant, which may be
antimony oxide. The interwoven material is of a sufficient tensile
and burst strength to accommodate the weight of a wheelchair
occupant seated in a wheelchair. Reference numeral 50 indicates an
approximate height of a strand 48, and reference numeral 52
indicates an approximate width of a strand 48. A strand of the
interwoven material is approximately 5/16 inch wide and
approximately 5/16 inch high. One benefit of using this type of
netting material 46 is that it allows a great many choices for
positioning the lateral supports to maximize efficacy and
comfort.
* * * * *